February 2014

HARRY BARNETT RECEIVES ELVERSON BOROUGH CANE by Jody Phillips

Harry L. Barnett, Jr., of Park Avenue, re- Army directly out of high school. He told me that ceived the Elverson Borough Cane at a ceremony after he graduated from Lower Chansford High held at the Twin Valley Fire Department meeting School on May 26, 1943, he barely had time to cele- room on Sunday afternoon, January 19. Elverson brate because the very next day he had to report at 7 Historical Commission member Jody a.m. to Harrisburg to be inducted Phillips presented the award in a ten- into the Army. minute ceremony attended by about After training at Camp Van 25 of Harry's friends and family mem- Dorn in Mississippi, he was sent to bers. Camp Swift in Texas where he After Harry thanked the Histori- received further schooling at the cal Commission for the cane and Third Army Mine School. He was those in attendance for coming, he then immediately sent out on ma- introduced the 12 family members neuvers. He explained that he did- who had come to honor him - from n't even get a furlough after train- his wife Geraldine, who sat by his side ing because there wasn't enough during the entire ceremony, to his time to travel home. He was sent younger sister, all the way to New York and down to his two young great less than a week -grandsons. I then invited later was on a ship these guests to the front of headed for Glas- the room for a group pic- gow, Scot- ture. Harry seemed to enjoy land. Harry served the photo session and smiled with the 164th over and over while holding Combat Engi- the cane and certificate. neers as a jeep Geraldine also smiled driver for various broadly as she watched officers. He once Harry show off his new drove for a Cap- cane. tain who was Head Everyone then ad- of Reconnaissance journed to the lounge area - a dangerous job for refreshments, which since reconnais- Harry and Gerry had sance duty meant brought. During this time, Harry proudly showed being on the Front Line. off the photo of him wearing his fire fighters hat, After three years in the war, he returned to the which was on the wall at the far left side of the USA and went to night school to study Agriculture. top row of a photo gallery of firemen. I com- When offered a job in the Soil Conservation Ser- mented to him then that I thought he probably vice, he had a choice of working in West Chester or would not need to use his cane for quite a while an area north of Pittsburgh. He chose West Ches- as he was so spry and moved around so well. He ter, which was a wise choice because there he met just laughed. his future wife Geraldine. Harry and Gerry were Harry was born in Lower Chansford Town- married on May 20, 1951 and have been together ship, in York County, 25 miles from of the city of almost 63 years.. York, on January 17, 1925. He grew up on a small Harry retired from the Soil Conservation Ser- Elverson Borough Newsletter farm where his family raised crops and livestock - vice in 1989 after 30 years of service. During that mainly steers and swine. Harry went into the time he and Gerry lived in West Chester and Honey

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Continued from p 1 Brook, raising their three sons and enjoying hunting and camping at their small cabin in Clearfield County. He became active in the Elverson Volunteer Fire Department, working as an EMT on the Ambulance Squad, Ambulance Captain and Fire- Police Captain, and moved to the borough in 1991. Harry stopped camping and hunting about three years ago but still stays active. He told me that one of his favorite win- tertime activities is clearing the sidewalks on Park Avenue. He rides a tractor with a 54-inch blade and does both sides of the street - and he does a good job too! He also enjoys visiting with his family. He still drives and loves to go out to eat; his fa- vorite restaurant is Red Lobster. He doesn't watch a lot of TV but likes the races. He has always been active in his church. Harry has served his fellow man in some capacity for most of his life and will surely continue to do so - especially if we get a big snowstorm in February!

SUPPORT OUR ELVERSON EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE (EMS)

Elverson EMS is a non profit organization and must MEMBERSHIP IS VALID FROM JANUARY 1, 2014 work at raising funds in order to stay in business to be here THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2014 FOR SERVICES PRO- when an emergency arises. All municipalities in Elverson VIDED TO YOU FROM A 911 EMERGENCY. EMS’ coverage area donate yearly, but unfor- tunately it does not cover all costs. Elverson Please mail a check payable to: has many expenses; monthly rent to TVFD, Elverson EMS EMT salaries and benefits, vehicle expenses, PO Box 154 insurance costs and continuing education Elverson, PA 19520 classes for staff members, to list a few. Notate in the memo section “2014 Membership” Each year Elverson EMS sends out a mailing to all the residents in our coverage To pay by Credit Card, please provide the following informa- area for the membership program. Please be tion and return to the above address aware your membership may not have come with the usual names printed on your membership as it has in the past. We Member Name: ______purchased an updated mailing address to try and include new members of our community. Unfortunately those names did Street / PO Box ______not match your past membership. We are working to update our list. Thank you for your patience as we update. City and Zip Code ______Family Membership covers two Adults and all depend- ants living at home. The membership also covers emergency Phone Number: (____)______transports from local physician offices and Urgent Care Cen- ters in Elverson EMS’ response area, which includes both Credit Card # ______Elverson and Morgantown. Typically, an insurance company will only cover a pre- Expiration Date ______determined amount of the invoice and require the patient to pay the remainder. If you decide to enroll in the Elverson Card Type: Visa, MasterCard, Discover EMS membership program, you will not be responsible for the (circle one) portion of the bill that your insurance company does not pay. This includes deductibles and co-pays that many Medicare Advantage plans make you responsible to pay. Membership Amount The Elverson membership program covers you for $50.00 Family all 911 emergency services medically necessary provided $35.00 Individual/Single Person ONLY by Elverson EMS. The membership does not cover you out of the Elverson EMS response area. We do not pro- $______Additional Donation vide non-emergency transports. Due to Medicare and insurance regulations, you will not be considered a member unless the requested amount is Questions regarding the membership please call our ambulance paid. Please note that although Elverson EMS works very billing and membership dept. 610-286-7978. If you have a true closely with all of the local volunteer fire companies, there is medical emergency please dial 911. no affiliation. Please support both Elverson EMS and your local fire Department.

February 2014 ELVERSON BOROUGH NEWSLETTER Page 2

HITTING THE DAY CARE JACKPOT!

The WCLC also provides transportation to the Twin Val- he Whole Child Learning Center, Inc. is proud ley, Robeson and French Creek Elementary Centers. to be celebrating their 10 year anniversary on Transportation may soon be available for the Honey TFebruary 9, 2014. Just 13 years ago, the creation of this Brook Elementary Center as well. Please call 610-913- Center was just a dream for two local women who had WCLC (9252) for information, or visit www.thewclc.com been working in child care since they were sixteen years to request information or to schedule a tour. old. They had worked their way up from teaching in every age group to assistant directors, directors, and re- “Living near the WCLC and having my son enrolled is gional managers for corporate child like hitting the “daycare jack- care organizations. After many pot!” I LOVE having my son years of helping other organizations here and I can’t imagine having become successful they realized him elsewhere. The staff are so that there was something more they caring and it is very apparent wanted for their own families. that each child is well known individually and cared for ex- Kathy and Kim decided to make a ceptionally! I am so excited to very difficult decision, to venture have him here for years to come out and create the Childcare Center and watch him move through the of their dreams. They spent several different rooms, meet all the years designing and making plans teachers and make friends!” R. for everything they wanted and Palmer thought each child deserved. They wanted a true family atmosphere where par- The Whole Child Learning Center, ents would feel confident dropping off their Inc. is a Keystone STAR 4 site, children and knowing they would be loved which is the highest star level that and cared for, as they would at home. They can be achieved. For information on wanted flexible schedules, staff continuity, the Keystone STAR program please great benefits, top of the line security, and visit www.pakeys.org to see why it is an exceptional curriculum. such an important program in provid- ing your child with quality child care. They worked long and hard trying to do it They are also a Nationally Accredited on their own but no matter which avenue Facility and members of important they took, they had to sacrifice too much to organizations like the Pennsylvania make it affordable. If it wasn’t possible to Early Childhood Education Associa- put everything into the Center that they tion (PECEA), the Pennsylvania wanted for their own children, it wasn’t worth doing. Child Care Association (PACCA), National Child Care Their dream almost came crashing down when Kathy’s Association (NCCA), and the Delaware Valley Associa- Dad came up with a plan. tion for the Education of Young Children (DVAEYC).

The rest is history, as the three of them set off to make Join the WCLC family today and your first week will be their dream a reality. They created a family owned and free! operated center that could make a difference in the lives of many children and their families.

Everyone should see the difference that The Whole Child THE FARMERS’ MARKET Learning Center is bringing to early childhood education. It is not only a warm, loving, nurturing environment for AT ELVERSON infants and toddlers, it is an exceptional preschool as well, Saturday, February 22 and accepts children from 6 weeks to 12 years of age. At the WCLC, Kathy, Kim, their highly qualified faculty and 10 am to noon staff prepare children to transition into kindergarten while Twin Valley Fire Company making it exciting and fun and a very positive experience for the whole family.

February 2014 ELVERSON BOROUGH NEWSLETTER Page 3

PRACTICAL ENERGY CONSERVATION TIPS FOR OLDER HOMES Lauren VanSteenvoort

Older homes frequently have built-in energy efficiency 6. Dust or clean radiators at least once a month during the features which our modern technologies do not take advantage heating seasons. Avoid painting radiators if possible, or use a of, or which have fallen into disuse or misuse. Historic homes, special paint designed for heat transfer. You can increase heat in particular, must be treated carefully, in order to not alter the output from a radiator by placing a small fan on the floor aiming character or harm the original fabric of the structure. Because at the radiator. these homes were built before many of our modern technolo- 7. Next time you need to paint the exterior of your home, con- gies, some employ fundamental conservation strategies, but still sider your paint color. In warm climates, light colors reflect do not meet today's standards of energy efficiency. Simply by more of the sun's heat. In northern areas, darker colors will changing your habits and the way you operate your home, absorb more of the sun's heat during the winter. you may be able to conserve resources and save money, before 8. Lower your hot water heater temperature to 120º F. In ad- even spending a dime. dition to reducing your energy costs, it will reduce the risk of 1. Don't heat or cool rooms that aren't in use. Traditionally, burns. families would live in certain areas of their homes in the hottest After you begin taking these simple steps toward efficiency and coldest times of the year. Figure out which areas of your in your own home, the most logical next step is enlisting a pro- home are the easiest and cheapest to occupy during these fessional to do an energy assessment. Auditors use specialized times, and close off other areas that are not being occupied. equipment, such as infrared cameras, to determine areas you Also, by turning down your thermostat, you will save 2% on your are losing heat. They will do a room-by-room assessment for heating bill per degree reduced. efficiency, as well as recommend safety measures you can 2. Reduce levels of illumination in your home; contemporary take. homes are typically over-lit by historical standards. Besides the I scheduled my first energy assessment while living in a electric powering your lighting, lights generally add heat, and historic Victorian home in New England and spending over $600 contribute to your cooling loads during the summer. one month on heating costs alone. After taking advantage of a 3. Shutters, window shades, drapes and window awnings are free Home Energy Survey offered by our utility company, we traditional devices to control interior house climate. Used ap- were able to implement some of the recommended efficiency propriately, they can mitigate the drawbacks to keeping your improvements, and decrease our heating costs by more than original, single-pane glass windows. Historically, in the sum- 50%! To find out more about energy assessments in our area, mer, you would open the house first thing in the morning to let in contact PPL Electric about their Energy Audit and Weatheri- the cool night air. As the sun begins to warm the air, you close zation Program at 877-486-9204. PPL has financial assistance the windows and shades on the sunny side of the house. In the available for many of the upgrades that may be recommended winter, shades and drapes should be closed at night, and on the in your assessment. cool sides of the house, but opened on the south and west dur- Before opening your wallet for renovations, please con- ing the day to let in the sun. sider the impact these changes In addition to solar heat gain, may have on your home. Many this will also reduce the investments could offer signifi- amount of artificial lighting cant energy cost savings, or they needed. Simply operating could be costly mistakes. Exam- your double-hung windows ples of measures that should be properly, alternately opening preceded by careful considera- top, bottom, or both, will also tion include insulating, window assist you in cooling your replacement, and any alteration house. of historic materials. I highly recommend reading The Old- 4. During the summer, fireplace dampers can be opened to House Journal Compendium, by Clem Labine, which is where allow warm air to rise up the chimney and promote air circula- I gathered much of the information for this article. Also, please tion. On cold days, be sure to close the damper tightly to pre- feel free to contact the Elverson Historical Commission at elver- vent heat from escaping. [email protected] with any questions. We are always 5. Ceiling fans have a very practical use during the summer happy to offer free advice! and the winter. They typically consume only as much power as a large light bulb, and significantly less than an air condi- Lauren VanSteenvoort is on the Elverson Historical Commis- tioner. During the winter, a ceiling fan can help warm the room sion, and she works for Muhlenberg Greene Architects in Read- by recirculating the warm air that rose to the ceiling. Of course, ing. You can find more of her practical advice on the MGA Blog fans only warm and cool people, not the room, so be sure to at www.mgarchitects-ltd.com/blog. turn them off when you leave the room.

February 2014 ELVERSON BOROUGH NEWSLETTER Page 4

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW ELVERSON BOROUGH? Jody Phillips

Last month's contest was a bit unusual in that I received five calls and three emails on the day my Newsletter came in the mail, all from people who were confident that they had the answer to the question I posed in my January col- umn. They were half correct. They all knew that the photo depicted the old Elverson train station but none knew where the picture had been taken. I gave each of them two hints - that you could see it from a car window and that it was on a sign. Three guessed where this sign was located - in front of Tim Hennessey's office at the train station, in the back room at the Elverson Deli, and (the correct an- swer) on the Elverson sign on Route 23, on the northwest boundary of the borough.

Congratulations to Ellie Troxell who has won a $10 gift certificate towards food at the Elverson Deli. Ellie didn't win because of having lived in the borough for many years because Ellie is only six years old. She is just very observant - a trait that seems to run in her family since Kayleigh Troxell won last month. Since I received no other calls with the correct answer, there are no runners-up this month.

I have printed another photo to show the entire sign. If you look closely at the photo in the January newsletter, you can see the tip of the R in the upper right hand corner - my hint that it was a sign. I have tried to find out who painted it, but no one seems to know. If you know, please contact me.

Also, remember that you can call with your answers until OUR THANKS TO the deadline date of the next issue and you might still win THE ELVERSON the grand prize. If I don't receive a correct answer in the BUSINESSES WHO first three days of the contest, the first correct answer SUPPORT THIS thereafter wins. The three-day pe- NEWSLETTER. riod in the beginning is only to If you would like allow for late mail pickup. I re- your business member that one time I didn't re- included, please ceive the correct answer until that contact Esther deadline day. The winner was Prosser, quite surprised when I told her that esther@stoltzfus. not only was she not too late to com. enter the contest, she had won the 484.269.7153. big prize.

Call me at 610-286-8913 or email me at [email protected].

February 2014 ELVERSON BOROUGH NEWSLETTER Page 5 Elverson Borough PRST STD PO Box 206 US POSTAGE Elverson PA 19520 PAID READING, PA PERMIT #415

BOROUGH COUNCIL BEGINS THE NEW YEAR WITH NEW MEMBERS Borough Council began the new year with Judge Cabry swearing in newly elected members. Incumbents Merle TO OUT OF ELVERSON BOROUGH RESIDENTS: Stoltzfus and Esther Prosser were elected to another 4 year term. Dwight Frizen and Bob French were elected to The Elverson Borough Newsletter is mailed free of charge serve as first term members. Bob Broderick was elected to all Borough residents. We are asking all who are NOT as Elverson’s mayor. residents of the Borough to pay $12 each year in order to receive it each month in the mail. Write your check to the Borough of Elverson, 101 South Chestnut Street, Elverson, PA 19520. Include your name and your address please.

If you would like to continue receiving the newsletter free of charge, pick one up at the Borough office during open hours (Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, 9 am to 4 pm) or log onto www.elversonboro.org and click on newsletters.

If you have questions about this, feel free to contact our Borough secretary, Lorrie Stolz at 610.286.6420 or [email protected].

L to R: Jack Stewart, Dwight Frizen, Shirley Crehan, Bob Broderick, Bob French, Esther Prosser, Judge Cabry, Merle Stoltzfus.